waitress: here you go. boss: thanks! gecko: no, no i got it, sir. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. [ male announcer ] ever have morning pain slow you down? introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid to fight fatigue. so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. new this hour, from tornadoes to severe flooding, a killer storm forces more than 100 high-water rescues in texas. now, that storm is moving north and we'll have live reports coming up. >> as commander in chief of the armd forces of the united states, i just want him to understand that this stunt that

he is talking about pulling could really endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in iraq, who are in afghanistan. president obama strongly condemns a church's plan to burn copies of the koran this weekend as another church jumps on the band wagon and says they're going to do the same thing. dan rather is here to weigh in on the controversy ahead. tom brady's car crash. breaking details coming in on the accident involving the patriots' quarterback. and say it ain't so. are alaskans turning their back on levi johnston? i'm chris jansing live from msnbc world headquarters in new york. the remnants of tropical storm hermine turned deadly. swamping texas neighborhood and washing away roads. in belten, homes are submerged and people were hauled to safety in inflatable rafts.

flood waters killed at least two people who became trapped in their cars after ten inches of rain fell in the dallas area. flood waters even closed six flags over texas. those are not supposed to look like water rides. and to top it all off, a series of tornadoes blew through the dallas area. amateur video captured this twister, it flipped an 18-wheeler and left the driver trapped. he was pulled out by a stranger. >> the driver of the 18-wheeler stuck his hand out the window and, you know, help, and me and three or four other people went over and pried the door open and helped him get out. >> let's go to the weather channel's julie martin who is live in dallas. julie? >> well, chris, one of the more unexpected effects of hermine and the twisters that tore through the dallas ft. worth area last evening about 6:15, you mention that tractor trailer. we're standing right in front of where that, in fact, happened.

you can see the damage this twister left behind. that gentleman inside the cab was on this street heading southbound. he was heading away from me. this twister picked up that truck, spun 180 degrees and slammed him and the truck into that building, which is, by the way, a paint manufacturer from what we understand. so, not only was he lucky to be alive in that respect, but hazardouses chemicals inside that building. this was a hazmat scene last night, as well. dramatic video coming in from viewers who were just watching these funnels drop out of the sky. at least four of them throughout the area. just when they thought they were getting a break from all the flooding you mentioned that hit this area so hard yesterday morning then came the twisters. some structural damage and keep in mind out of 1.3 million people or so here in the metroplex, no one seriously hurt, including that lucky truck

driver, chris. >> thank you so much. day four of a raging wildfire that turned 135 homes to rubble in boulder, colorado. more than any fire in state history. 500 firefighters are on the job this morning. officials say it could be ten more days before that blaze is fully under control. and while some evacuees have been allowed to go home, they've also been warned to be ready to make a run for it, again. fi officials in detroit, meantime, are on the defensive about a massive series of fires that leveled 85 structures there. the mayor was clearly frustrated at a news conference over repeated questions about budget cuts and whether the fire department's staffing shortages and response time to downed power lines made the destruction worse than it had to be. city officials argued that high winds that downed power lines and then spread burning embers had the brunt. but detroit free press headline told the story, some detroiters

left with nothing but their fury. president obama is now jumping into the fast-growing fray over that florida minister who is not backing down on his plan to burn the koran on september 11th. the president called on terry jones to "listen to those better ange angels." he declared the stunt, the event a stunt and warned it would have grave consequences for the united states and europe. >> this is a recruitment bonanza for al qaeda. you know, you could have serious violence in places like pakistan. or afghanistan. this could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in american cities or european cities. >> nbc kerry sanders has been following this story. he joins us now from gainesville, once again this morning. kerry, there has been so much pressure from so many sides, but absolutely no turn around from

the minister or his congregation at this point. >> none. and point out it's a very small congregation, at most, 50. out here in this field which borders a cow pasture and there you see the church in the background, but terry jones, the pastor, says he is not backing down unless he gets a message from his god telling him not to do this. he's gone a little bit further now in talking with "usa today" telling a reporter from "usa today" that if he were to get direct contact from the white house, from the pentagon or the state department, then he might reconsider. he says he's burning the koran to send a message to the extremists within the muslim religion. he says that he's offended by certain aspects of what is in the koran. so, i asked him directly, what was it about the teachings of islam that offend him so much? here's a little bit of that exchange. >> i have only read parts of the koran. >> tell me a part that you have

read that offends you that has you and your small congregation out here planning on burning that islamic holy book. >> we are burning the koran as a demonstration. >> quote something that you read that offended you, that has you concerned. >> well, of course, the koran does not recognize jesus christ as the son of god, the crucified savior. >> of course, the koran does mention jesus christ and following his philosophy here, i did ask him, well, what about the tora because in the jewish faith they do not recognize jesus as the son of god and as a savior. is he going to start burning the tora. he said, no, no, no, we're not going to do that. some of the logics seem slightly confused. i asked him whether this was a stunt and just confused what you're trying to present here. he was emphatic saying this was not a stunt.

will he burn the koran with his followers. will he do that on the anniversary of 9/11 right here in the field? well, he may follow through with that, but there's one other caveat here and that is that there is an ordinance in the city of gainesville about open fire. yes, you are allowed to have a camp fire but the city police determined that needs to be made with twigs and branches and not by books. because the city says the ink in the book is a toxic material and you can't burn a toxic material. so, if he attempts to ignite these korans, it may turn out that the fire department extinguishes it as fast as somebody strikes a match. chris? >> thank you, kerry sanders. i'm joined by dan rather. this story has certainly created some interesting bed fellows. all on the same side, sarah palin and barack obama. jesse jackson and franklin graham. but i think for a lot of the media, this really started when

general petraeus said that he thought this could pose a danger for u.s. troops and civilians living abroad and then peter king said, i think he said it yesterday, that he worries that all these people talking about this is really elevating it. do you think that's what's happening here? that he should just be left alone? >> i can't tell anybody how to cover anything and having made my own mistakes over the years. i think this story is being overcovered and one of the things the 24 news cycle brought us brought us a lot of good things. one thing it brought us, people can bring a lot of attention. outrageous positions. >> i have to tell you, though, dan, we didn't really do this, at least not this program until general petraeus spoke and then when he starts saying, listen, troops are in danger. that becomes a story. >> i quite agree. i absolutely agree that once, with myself. once general petraeus says, listen, i'm telling you this can

put my troops under my command. and game, set, match. you've got to cover it. my only point is that the recent point now has its own momentum going and president obama stated it pretty well that this gets widespread distribution around the world, coverage of this. all out of proportion to what it might otherwise deserve. >> whether they burn the koran or not and i don't want to minimize that act in any way, but has the damage already been done, dan? >> in many ways, i think it has. i think that is what general petraeus is trying to say. he was trying to limit the damage. i don't think he would have spoken out unless he thought some damage had already been done and he's worried about starting the wildfire effect of this which let's hope and pray doesn't happen. let's clearly see here what's happened. this is a very small church and the second church now in tennessee. these are small churches. they have a right to do this. and once they get worldwide

coverage of, listen, we're going to do this, then leaders such as specifically president obama and petraeus, then they have to react and once they do, i agree, that we have to say, listen, folks, wake up. your son and daughters can be placed in danger by this. this is very dangerous. but what are you going to do? >> and let me ask you about what mayor bloomberg has to say. in fact, let me play exactly what he said when he was asked about pastor jones and whether he has the right to burn the koran. >> right. >> the u.s. constitution says you have a right to do that. period. end of story. the government can't stop you from burning a book. i said i thought it was distasteful, disrespectful and outrage and i thought it jeopardizes this country and our troops but the constitution protects it. and you either believe in the

constitution and the bill of rights or you don't. >> you have far more people, the vast majority of people speaking out against this than you do saying that they should. in fact, as about as far as anybody would go, constitutionally, they obviously have the right to burn whatever book they want to burn, but what real damage do you think it will do, dan, in the muslim world? you traveled there so extensively, you covered it extensively. do the voices of those two small churches get heard far louder than all the descenders? >> yes. and in the nature of overseas i think that is clear yes. also it got out front which is to say the news a christian pastor in the u.s. plans to burn the koran is the first headline and the most impressive headline. coming behind it, some coverage of president obama and what he says and what mayor bloomberg says. the answer is, yes, most of the

damage has been done. now, how do we limit the damage and go forward from here? >> can we limit the damage? >> we're, we're limited in what we can do because it is a free country. they do have a constitutional right to do it. that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. but one could only hope that once the president has said what he said, petraeus has said what he said and the coverage begins to swing, look, understand we are a country of 300 million plus people and you're talking about congregations of 50 and maybe 100. that's the best we can do. but we are who we are. we're a freedom-loving country and freedom is not easy, nobody said it was going to be easy. particularly is this difficult during a war-time situation. but this is who we are and i do believe strongly that over the long haul when we explain, when we take time to explain who we are, what our basic beliefs are. i'm not talking about the

constitutional republic freedom and principals of freedom and democracy that over the long haul, we'll survive this to say the least. >> dan rather, always good to have you. >> good to see you, chris. >> pleasure. make a big change here, but the isis breaking news this morning. the super star quarterback tom brady was shaken up but aparbtly not seriously hurt in a two-car accident in boston this morning. the jaws of life were used and a pole was down at the scene, but brady was not taken to the hospital and was said to be on his way to the new england stadium where he will be examined by team doctors. it is expected to be worth $18 million and $20 million a season for the new contract. he's married to supermodel gisele who has been spotted in new york for fashion week. breaking down the bush tax cuts. what they mean for the money in your wallet if they expire. we'll crunch the numbers for you next.

she didn't last as a spy, but quite the celebrity in russia. how anna chapman is cashing in. plus, madonna's subway secret. she made lead a glamorous life, but the pop star is proving she's just like a regular mom. well, we'll see about that, next. welcome to progressive. nice calculator. i'm just trying to save money on my car insurance. you know, with progressive, you get the option to name your price. is that even possible? uh, absolutely. trade? and i still get great service? more like super great.

oh, you have a message. "hello." calculator humor. i'll be here all week. i will -- that was my schedule. the freedom to name your price. now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ male announcer ] we asked zyrtec® users what they love about their allergy relief, and what it lets them do. the thing i love most about zyrtec® is that it allows me to be outside. [ male announcer ] we bet you'll love zyrtec®, too -- or it's free. [ vonetta ] it is countdown to marshmallow time. [ woman laughs ] ♪ passion burning ♪ love is so strong ♪ [ both screaming ] i got into one of the most expensive schools in the country! [ male announcer ] when stress gives you heartburn with headache... alka-seltzer gives you relief fast. [ low male ] plop, plop. [ high male ] fizz, fizz.

let us raise a question this morning. is this a mixed message? in san francisco jails sex is illegal, but they've just installed condom machines. 16 condom dispensers for the 750 inmates in the san bruno lock up as part of its safe sex program. no sex, but safe sex program. the move is controversial, but health concerns come first. the cost of the machines, we should say, is being covered by a pair of small grants from a university and a nonprofit

organization. sure, the whole spy thing didn't quite work out, but what about a run for congress. speculation in russia that sexy red head anna chapman is plotting her next big move. she's already had a racy photo spread and her home town wants to make her an honorable citizen. now, there's talks she could follow in the footsteps of vladimir putin and make a run for public office. she's just like every other teenager at public school except that her mom's madonna. 13-year-old lourdes has started the school year at music and art and performing arts in new york city. the public school that was made famous in the movie "fame." as for lourdes she already has her own clothing line and since parents can be embarrassing on the first day there was no sign of the material mom but she was spotted by a new york newspaper riding the subway. unlikely the public school and public transportation are a

sign that madonna is hurting, but since so many americans are, president obama continues to pitch his ideas for fixing the economy and blasting republicans efforts to extend the bush era tax cuts for wealthy americans. >> if warren buffett gets a tax break, that's not going to change his spending patterns. if those families that i were talking to out here in cleveland or across the country get a tax break, that may mean a new computer for their kid. it may mean that they're able to make their mortgage payments and it may mean that they could buy a new coat for winter. and that's where our money should be going. >> with more now on the impact of the bush tax cuts and what they would mean for you, i'm joined by msnbc analyst vera gibbons. >> good morning, chris. >> president wants to keep the tax cuts. what the impact would be if congress does not extend these tax cuts. >> it would not be pretty,

right? we would all be up against a higher tax bill. right now, as you know, we have the six tax brackets and those who would go with new tax brackets going up to 39.6%. even at the very low end, a jump from 10% to 15%, that's significant. >> right now it's huge. so, how much more are we talking about in terms of dollars and cents. >> it all depends how much you make. you're looking at an increase of $70 on average. >> i tell you, 70 bucks for somebody making 10 grand is a lot of money. put it into rel real perspective. $20,000 to $30,000, an increase of $800. and $50,000 to $65,000, you're looking at an increase of over $1,100. no small chunk of change here. it's big money. >> how would the expiration of the tax cuts affect families?

>> the child tax credit is now $1,000 per child, which is a nice, generous thing because of the bush tax cuts. it would be reduced $500 per child and the other thing disconcerning is the eligibility requirements are tougher. it would be tougher for families to get that $500. >> what do you mean tougher? isn't your kid your kid? >> right now 17 dependents, right now foster kids, grandkids, not nearly as generous. also, too, i should mention the return of the marriage penalty. right now the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is double and it would not be nearly as generous. what it means to couples filing jointly, additional taxes. >> vera gibbons, always good to see you. this is confusing for a lot of people, but the real dollars and cents makes a real difference. >> you want them extended, that's the message. >> i think we got that. okay, thanks. >> thanks, chris. how today marks a special

but painful day for the family of a missing oregon boy. first, police are calling it a case of dumb and dumb. a snake becomes too much to handle for a pair of would-be thieves. we'll show you the surveillance video that, frankly, says it all. is snooki just a lindsay lohan wanna be? you're watching msnbc. sofia amarosa launched her clothing company nasty girl at age 22 with nothing more than a good eye for fashion and unique sense of style. she started by selling vintage clothes on ebay and now runs her own successful ecommerce site. for more, watch your business sunday mornings at 7:30. [ mom ] i can't start the first grade with her.

♪ i can't hold her hand on the bus. ♪ or be there to show everyone how great she is. but what i can do is give her everything she needs to be excited for school, while staying in my budget. that's why i go to walmart. she has everything she needs. and then some. [ female announcer ] walmart has low prices on not just a few things, but everything on their back-to-school list. guaranteed. save money. live better. walmart. stay twice... earn a free night! two separate stays at comfort inn or any of these choice hotels can earn you a free night -- only when you book at choicehotels.com. can earn you a free night -- no oil has flowed into the gulf for weeks, but it's just the beginning of our work. i'm iris cross.

bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. my job is to listen to the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers and find ways to help. that means working with communities. we have 19 centers in 4 states. we've made over 120,000 claims payments, more than $375 million. we've committed $20 billion to an independent claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. we'll keep looking for oil, cleaning it up if we find it and restoring the gulf coast. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. bp is gonna be here until the oil is gone and the people and businesses are back to normal... until we make this right. [ animals calling ] ♪ [ pop ] [ man ] ♪ well, we get along ♪ yeah, we really do

- ♪ and there's nothing wrong - [ bird squawks ] ♪ with what i feel for you ♪ i could hang around till the leaves are brown and the summer's gone ♪ [ announcer ] when you're not worried about potential dangers, the world can be a far less threatening place. take the scary out of life with travelers insurance... and see the world in a different light. a detective is calling it a case of dumb and dumber. first they stole a five-foot long snake and then couldn't handle it. police in australia say two men broke into a pet shop and swiped the reptile named boris and then they brought the python to a mcdonald's parking lot and they saw people wrestling it and that's when they were arrested. imagine if you were on this cruise ship. the video shows passengers and

furniture being thrown around. giant waves were battling the ship. the video just surfaced but it is from way back in 2008. reports indicate 42 passengers were hurt, at least one is still suing. the ship "pacific sun" has taken necessary precautions since that freak storm. new insight on how americans are dealing with their hard times and what they're doing with their money. a new jersey judge lays down the law for the "jersey shore" snooki. introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid to fight fatigue. so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. it means getting everything you need to invest for yourself, not by yourself. it means choosing from stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and every etf sold. plus 5-star service

and research designed to increase your intelligence, not insult it. so you can wave good riddance to some high-priced joker churning out cookie cutter portfolios. price is one thing. value is another. don't confuse the two. e-trade. investing unleashed. [ air whooshing ] [ crunch! ] [ male announcer ] 11 grams of delicious whole grain. one mighty toasted crunch. new wheat thins crunch stix. the crunch is calling.

president obama now weighing in on a florida pastor's plan to burn the islamic holybook on 9/11. the president warned the controversial action could trigger a dangerous backlash and help al qaeda recruit more terrorists. so far, pastor terry jones is not backing down. he says it's an effort to confront islamic terrorism. right now the council on

american relations is holding a news conference. the muslim group is planning to distribute 200,000 korans. in colorado an excruciating wait for thousands of residents unsure if a raging wildfire destroyed their homes. they were evacuated as the fire tore across the region north of boulder. 135 homes have been destroyed. patriots' quarterback tom brady is apparently okay after a serious early morning car accident in boston. reports say the super star was shaken up, but not taken to the hospital. new video just released of those 33 chilean miners glad to be talking to their families, but behind the pictures in this video reports of a big rebellion after more than a month trapped underground. the miners were upset when they were denied wine and cigarettes and they were sent back a shipment of peaches.